Codemasters Removing GFWL DRM From DiRT 3

Add another one to the list folks. Codemasters has announced via Twitter that they will be removing the Games For Windows Live DRM from DiRT 3 and they will be using Valve's free Steamworks SDK to implement into the game and DLC sometime in early 2014.

For those of you who don't know, a bunch of publishers and developers have to clean up Microsoft's mess after they announced that they are axing their gaming services for anything pre-Windows 8 and are closing up shop and moving on to bigger and better things. Yes, Games For Windows Live is shutting down on July 1st, 2014, following the closure of the Games For Windows Marketplace back in August.

Some developers and publishers have come forward on merits of goodwill to announce that they will port or turn off the DRM in their games so that gamers will still be able to access these titles well into the future. We have a list of games switching from GFWL to Steamworks right here and DiRT 3 has been added to the list, following an exchange between a gamer and Codemasters over Twitter [via Reddit], where their official response on the matter is as follows...

This is excellent news for gamers as we slowly – although it feels like we're moving pretty quick here – toward the July 1st shutdown date. Some gamers aren't too worried, but I love me some Lost Planet 2 and it would be a shame if the game never gets patched off GFWL. It would basically make the game a digital coaster.

While Capcom hasn't been exceptionally vigilant with updating gamers on the whole GFWL ordeal, other companies have stepped up and stepped forward to show they care about the historical value of their digital offerings. Rocksteady and Warner Bros., for instance, have marched up to the plate to publicly address their switch from GFWL to Steamworks with the Batman: Arkham games. It was a great gesture from the company going back and making this change to allow gamers, both new and old, to enjoy the Batman titles long after the cessation of Microsoft's Games For Windows Live service.

I suspect as Valve ramps up promotion and gathers support for the SteamOS and begins getting companies and gamers migrating over, we may see more companies step up and finally relinquish the use of GFWL in favor of Valve's free Steamworks SDK... or at least, I'd like to hope for as much.

We'll continue to keep you posted on more games making the leap from GFWL to Steamworks.